Various different fastener-driving tools are of course well known in the art. It is also known in the art that these various different fastener-driving tools are operated by means of different power sources, that is, for example, some fastener-driving tools may be combustion-powered, some fastener-driving tools may be driven by compressed air, and the like. One example of a combustion-powered fastener driving tool is disclosed within U.S. Patent Re. 32,452 which issued to Nikolich on Jul. 7, 1987. Regardless of the type of power source utilized to operate such fastener-driving tools, when fasteners are driven into various different substrates, dust, particles, debris, or the like, are likely to be generated. This type of event occurs substantially naturally as a function of the particular material from which the particular substrate is fabricated. For example, this type of event is quite common when fasteners are driven into, for example, gypsum or other similar types of wallboard. One of the problems that needs to be confronted or resolved when such dust, particles, debris, or the like, are in fact generated, resides in the fact that the dust, particles, debris, or the like, are effectively widely dispersed or disseminated and tend to coat, collect, or accumulate upon various different surface portions of the fastener-driving tool, or even more importantly, that the dust, particles, debris, or the like, can normally enter internal regions of the fastener-driving tool. The ingress of such dust, particles, debris, or the like, into the internal regions of the fastener-driving tool can lead to various operational problems within the fastener-driving tool.
More particularly, if the dust, particles, debris, or the like, should enter specific internal regions of the fastener-driving tool, such as, for example, into the piston-cylinder assembly of the nail advancement mechanism of the fastener-driving tool, which mechanism is normally or conventionally exposed, the dust, particles, debris, or the like, could foul or otherwise operatively interfere with the reciprocal movements of the piston rod of the piston-cylinder assembly of the nail advancement mechanism whereby the operative functioning of the nail advancement mechanism of the fastener-driving tool would be adversely affected. The reason for this is that not only can the dust, particles, debris, or the like, accumulate within the nail advancement mechanism so as to operatively interfere with the reciprocal movements of the piston rod of the piston-cylinder assembly of the nail advancement mechanism, but in addition, the dust, particles, debris, or the like, can also effectively become mixed or combined with, or become embedded within, the various lubricants that are normally used upon the piston and piston rod structure of the piston-cylinder assembly so as to effectively ensure the smooth reciprocal movements of the piston and the piston rod with respect to its surrounding cylinder. If such events do occur, then the nail fasteners may not be properly advanced at proper times during the fastener-driving cycles, the nail fasteners may become jammed within the fastener-driving tool so as to prevent the proper firing of the fastener-driving tool, more frequent maintenance of the fastener-driving tool would be required, and the like.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved means or structure for effectively covering, encasing, or enclosing, for example, substantial external surface portions of the nail advancement mechanism of the fastener-driving tool so as to effectively prevent the collection or accumulation of dust, particles, debris, or the like, generated during the driving of fasteners into particular types of substrates, upon such external surface portions of the nail advancement mechanism of the fastener-driving tool and therefore, in turn, effectively prevent the ingress of such dust, particles, debris, or the like into the internal regions of the fastener-driving tool, and more particularly, into the internal regions of the nail advancement mechanism of the fastener-driving tool, so as to effectively prevent the occurrence of the aforenoted events which could adversely affect the cyclical operations of the fastener-driving tools.